Sports Medicine Physicians
Diagnose and treat injuries that have occurred during physical activity.
Quick Facts
Wages: |
Median wages for the broader occupation, Physicians and Surgeons, All Other, are
/ hour.
|
Education: |
Graduate degree (any type)
is typically required.
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On the Job: |
Typical Work Tasks
- Refer patients to other healthcare practitioners or health resources.
- Treat acute illnesses, infections, or injuries.
- Treat chronic diseases or disorders.
- Diagnose medical conditions.
Read more about the job
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Job Title Examples: |
Athletic Team Physician
Director of Sports Medicine
Team Physician
See more job title examples
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View All Career Information
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
On the Job
Sports Medicine Physicians diagnose and treat injuries that have occurred as a result of physical activity. They order laboratory tests and record patients' medical histories. They may advise athletes to avoid certain types of activities to prevent further injury. They help to care for and educate patients.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Refer patients to other healthcare practitioners or health resources.
- Treat acute illnesses, infections, or injuries.
- Treat chronic diseases or disorders.
- Diagnose medical conditions.
- Select medical equipment for addressing patient needs.
- Maintain medical or professional knowledge.
- Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
- Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
- Analyze patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals.
- Analyze test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment.
Typical Working Conditions
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
- Close physical proximity with other people.
- Frequent contact with others.
- Exposure to disease or infections.
- Responsibility for outcomes and results.
- Standing.
- Working with a group or team.
- Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- High levels of competition.
- Being in situations in which conflicts arise.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Education & Credentials
This is a new or emerging specialty. The information on this page is based on the broader career that this specialty is part of,
Physicians and Surgeons, All Other.
Educational Requirements
Graduate degree (any type)
Education level attained (national data)
Education Level Attained (national data)Education Level Attained | Percentage of workers in this occupation |
Less than high school diploma | 0.2 |
High school diploma or equivalent | 0.2 |
Some college, no degree | 0.1 |
Associate degree | 0 |
Bachelors degree | 1.7 |
Masters degree | 0.9 |
Doctoral (Ph.D) or professional degree | 96.8 |
Work Experience and Training Requirements
Nationally, this career typically requires:
- No related work experience for entry.
- Internship/residency to become competent.
Majors
Click on any of the Majors listed below to find out more about preparing for this
career.
Transfer Options
Enrolling in a community college can be a great place to start your four-year degree. While all 31 Minnesota State community colleges,
technical colleges and universities offer all or part of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum
(a 40-credit package of general education courses accepted for transfer to other state colleges and universities, the University of Minnesota,
and some private colleges and universities), not all two-year colleges offer degrees intended to transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree.
If you plan to transfer to obtain a four-year bachelor's degree, it is important to know which degree path is right for you:
- Associate of Arts (AA) degrees offered at community colleges are designed to transfer into liberal arts four-year majors.
- Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degrees offered at community and technical colleges transfer into specific four-year majors and will likely require completing additional general education courses at a university.
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees offered at technical and community colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
- Diplomas and certificates offered at technical colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
Talk to a transfer specialist as early as possible to determine the best associate degree for your goals. Be sure to review your Degree Audit Report (DARS) each semester to best prepare for transfer. Get more help understanding transfer using the tools below.
Licenses
Licenses are knowledge and skill credentials that are legally required in some careers.
This occupation requires a license.
Physician (Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.
Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:
- Anatomy
- Chemistry
- Community Health
- Computer Applications
- Human Development
- Medical Ethics
- Nutrition
- Research Methods
- Safety and First Aid/CPR
- Sociology
- Statistics
- World Languages
In Minnesota, your school may have developed a Program of Study in this career area.
A Program of Study is an academic and career plan developed by your high school to help move you towards a career
and college path. A Program of Study can help you:
- Select high school classes that prepare you for college and getting a job
- Understand how the classes you're taking in high school lead to a career
- Identify extra-curricular activities that are related to your career interest
- See what classes at your school offer early college credit that will save you time and money towards your college expenses
- Graduate from high school prepared for your next step toward the career you choose
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Skills & Knowledge
Most Important Skills for Sports Medicine Physicians
- Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Learning New Things—Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Making Decisions—Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Being Aware of Others—Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Speaking—Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Helping Others—Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Solving Complex Problems—Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Most Important Knowledge Areas for Sports Medicine Physicians
- Medicine and Dentistry—Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Biology—Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
- Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Psychology—Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Personnel and Human Resources—Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
- Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Mathematics—Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Chemistry—Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal m
Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:
- Investigative—Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
- Social—Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Learn more about your interests. Take the MnCareers Interest Assessment.
Describe Your Skills
This is a new or emerging career specialty. Skill statements are still under development.
Careers that Use Similar Skills
This is a new or emerging career specialty. Information on similar careers is still under development.
View more careers in the Health Science cluster
View more careers in the Therapeutic Services pathway
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
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Jobs
Real-time job data provided by Gartner TalentNeuron
Job Title Examples
Athletic Team Physician,
Director of Sports Medicine,
Team Physician,
Director of Athletic Medicine, Head Team Physician,
Head Orthopedic Team Physician,
Nonsurgical Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician,
Orthopaedic Surgeon, Sports Medicine Specialist,
Team Primary Care Physician
Where Do Sports Medicine Physicians Work?
Sports Medicine Physicians often work in the following industries.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.